This application claims priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0000389, filed on Jan. 4, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to a broadcast receiver, and more particularly, to a broadcast receiver receiving an emergency alert signal and a method of processing the emergency alert signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been growing interest in multi-channel digital broadcasting that will replace analog broadcasting. In digital broadcasting, an audio information signal, a text information signal, and an image information signal are multiplexed and transmitted. Then, the multiplexed signal is received by a digital broadcast receiver via various broadcast media such as satellite broadcasts and terrestrial broadcasts.
In particular, digital television (TV) systems utilized in the Unites States include a moving image stream as well as an emergency alert signal alerting people to emergencies such as natural disasters, riots, radioactive leakages, wars, and so on. According to the Digital Video Subcommittee (DVS) 313 standard of the Society of Cable Telecommunication Engineers (SCTE), the emergency alert signal is included in a digital broadcast signal in the form of an emergency alert system (EAS) packet. Digital broadcast receivers, which receive EAS packets, include digital TVs, set-top boxes, and recorders.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional digital TV processing an EAS packet. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional digital TV receives a digital broadcast signal through a terrestrial or cable network. If the digital broadcast signal includes an EAS packet, which is an emergency alert signal, the digital TV compares the priority of a service that is currently offered now with that of the received EAS packet. If the EAS packet has a higher priority than the service being offered, the digital TV displays emergency alert information included in the EAS packet on a display screen. If the EAS packet has a lower priority than the service being offered, the digital TV ignores the EAS packet.
As described above, the conventional digital TV is configured to process an EAS packet on its own and output emergency alert information included in the EAS packet on a display screen. Therefore, only those who are present in a place where the digital TV is located can be informed of an emergency alert. In addition, the conventional digital TV does not have a mechanism for transmitting the emergency alert to other household appliances.